Tag: understand the concept of imprest system

There are two kinds of cash book i.e. Main Cash Book and Petty Cash Book. Petty cash book is used to record small value expense items.

A large number of small payments are recorded in separate cash book such a cash book is maintained by petty cashier is called as petty cash book. The petty cashier works on the "Imprest system" under this system a definite amount is given to petty cashier at the beginning of certain period. This amount is called "Imprest amount". The petty cashier makes small payments out of this imprest amount, when he spent substantial amount he gets reimbursement of amount spent from head cashier.

Petty is a french word which means small. So petty cash book has come into existence which records small amount transactions. Hence, petty is the derivation of the french word.

Petty cash system is used to pay small day to day expenses on daily basis. A sum of total spent amount is transferred to cash book and expense account for a particular period rather than recording each individual small transaction.

Petty is a french word which means "small". So petty cash book has come into existence which records small amount transactions.

Under imprest system, a round sum of money estimated are necessary for the possible needs of the business to meet petty expenses for the week or fortnight is handed over to the Petty Cashier. At the end of the fixed period or earlier, when petty cashier needs further cash, he submits the petty cash book, along with vouchers.

In columnar /analytical cash book, various items of petty cash payments are analysed and separate analytical columns are provided for recording each and every item. The amount of cash received from the chief cashier for meeting out the petty expenses is recorded on the debit side and actual cash payments towards various petty items are recorded on the credit side in the total as well as analytical columns. The analytical column is provided for each usual head of expense like postage & telegrams, printing & stationary, carriage & cartage, traveling expenses, entertainment expenses, office expenses, sundry expenses, etc. Subsequently, the totals of these analytical columns are posted to the respective ledger accounts which save the labor used in posting each item of payment separately in the ledger. The balancing of petty cash book is done in the total payments column. Where the debit side (receipts) exceeds that of the credit side ( in the totals column -Payments), it represents the unspent balance of cash remaining with the petty cashier.

A simple petty cash book is one in which there is only one amount column on its both sides with common date and particular columns. The debit column is used for entering the balance of cash in hand of the petty cashier at the beginning of the period and the amount received from the head cashier. A simple petty cash book is identical to a cash book. Any cash that a petty cashier receives is recorded on the debit or receipts side and any cash that he pays is recorded on the credit or payments side. In this type of Cash book, all the expenses are recorded in one single column. Due to this, postings of all expenses to respective ledger accounts consume a lot of time. Hence, the Simple Petty Cash Book is not popular because separate columns for various expenses are not maintained. 

The closing balance of petty cash book is considered as Asset.